This week has been all about good ol’ Microsoft. Their annual developer conference brought a peek at what’s coming to Windows and other products later this year, while back at the farm we’ve been revisiting their familiar and sophisticated Office suite. Here’s a look back at this week’s top posts.

Microsoft’s Build conference is always full of news about Windows, Office, Xbox, and other Microsoft products, and Build 2016 was no exception. We got a look at the newest Windows 10 update coming this summer, new features for the Xbox One, and updates the Windows Store. Here’s the best new stuff we saw.

Microsoft Word is easily the biggest, most popular word processing program available, but it does a lot more than just edit text and TPS reports. If you’ve been telling yourself that you’ll finally learn Word’s ins and outs, now’s the time to actually learn how to edit styles, add a table of contents, and more.

PowerPoint lets you put presentations together in a snap, but your slide shows can be dull and boring if you only know the basics. It’s time to learn how to customize templates, add animations and slide transitions, make slide notes, and more.

Spreadsheets are a nerd’s data-driven dream. For most regular people, though, they’re a complicated mess. Fortunately, they don’t need to be. Here’s how to bend data to your will with Microsoft Excel 2016.

Microsoft Outlook is the de facto email and calendaring client in most offices—and it can help manage your tasks and notes as well. Beyond just clicking Send and Receive, there are lots of things you can do to improve your Outlook workflow, such as sharing your calendar, auto-filtering emails, and more.

The Amazon Echo offers our first serious glimpse into the future of an intelligent home. It’s not perfect, but whether you’re you’re thinking of getting an Echo, hear people talking about “Alexa,” or not sure what the one you have is capable of, here are some of the best things you can do with it.

For centuries, Zen masters have used stories and koans, or paradoxical riddles, to help students realize their true nature. These stories are often puzzling and may seem nonsensical, but ponder them yourself and you might emerge wiser and more self-aware. Here are seven of our favorite Zen stories.

Wear headphones in the office without getting scowls, hear about the northernmost land action in the civil war, learn how to sound smart when speaking in public, and more in this, the inaugural edition of Lifehacker’s Monday Brain Buffet.

I can’t start the day until I’ve had my java but I rarely have time to make breakfast. Perhaps there’s a way to kill two early birds with one stone. Today we’re trying to make both at the same time—in the same cup.

Buying your first home comes with quite a few surprises. While most buyers are prepared to sign up for homeowner’s insurance, they often overestimate their coverage. There are a number of unexpected things your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover, and in case of an emergency, you don’t want to be caught off guard. Here are some common events not included in your policy.

If the condom broke, if you missed a pill, if you were assaulted and you’re worried that a baby might result, you may still have time to prevent that pregnancy. You have to act fast (within days), and you have three options: an over-the-counter pill, a prescription pill, or a copper IUD. Any of these, taken in time, have a good chance of preventing pregnancy.

It’s hard to deny the joys of travel; it’s a pretty universally loved experience. Of course, it’s also expensive and it’s not always easy to make time for it. If you’re itching to travel but it’s not in the cards in your foreseeable future, here’s how to make do in the meantime.

The craft cocktail movement has gotten a little intense and, though I’m not complaining, many feel that it’s all become a bit precious with infusions, fancy syrups, and locally-sourced herbal tinctures. In Cocktails for Drinkers, author Jennifer McCartney gives you the guidance you need to make “a good, stiff cocktail at your kitchen counter,” no muddling required.